S.C. sends Ga. new message on ports

Resolution 2.471 decries effects of port deepening.

COLUMBIA -- South Carolina lawmakers have approved a resolution again declaring their opposition to Georgia's plans to deepen the Savannah Harbor, although their latest action is not expected to impede the project.

The concurrent resolution, which passed the S.C. House Tuesday by a vote of 112-0 and cleared the Senate earlier, does not have the power of law. It says South Carolina will oppose any deepening plan "that does not provide mutual economic benefits" to South Carolina. "I think it's not pertinent," said Chris Crawford, spokesman for Rep. Jack Kingston, a Republican from Georgia's 1st District, referring to the resolution.

"Jack has been very supportive of cooperation between everyone and real supportive of setting up the Jasper port," added Crawford.

Earlier in the week, Georgia leaders were busy responding with disappointment to the president's proposed budget, which contained money for engineering and design but nothing for construction.

South Carolina's resolution follows months of anger from Palmetto State legislators, who argue the deeper river will prevent progress on the bi-state Jasper Ocean Terminal, which is proposed for 1,600 acres on South Carolina's side of the river.

And in January, South Carolina's Savannah River Maritime Commission and the ports oversight panel both submitted disapproving comments to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' regarding the Corps' draft environmental study of Georgia's $600 million deepening project.

Crawford said South Carolina's latest statement overlooks its potential gains.

"I don't see how you can claim that jobs stop at the river," he said. "I'd bet there are a lot of people in the Beaufort area that benefit from the (Savannah) port."

Sen. Saxby Chambliss' office also took exception to the S.C. Legislature's resolution. "Deepening the Savannah Harbor will bring more jobs and businesses not just to Georgia, but to South Carolina and the entire Southeast," said Ashley Nelson, the senator's spokesperson.

Among the charges in the resolution is one that the dredging, "would effectively consume the safe carrying capacity of the river, preventing the state of South Carolina from pursuing other economic projects along the river."

Crawford said he could not speak to what would happen to the Jasper terminal plans if the harbor deepening goes forward, but stressed, "In general, we support what's good for the Beaufort area, too."

South Carolina's resolution, S. 471, says that copies will be forwarded to Georgia's governor, Senate president and House speaker, along with the president of the United States and the president of the U.S. Senate and speaker of the U.S. House. A spokeswoman for Gov. Nathan Deal could not be reached.

On Wednesday it was unclear whether staff for the resolution's sponsor, S.C. Senate Transportation Committee chairman Sen. Larry Grooms, had distributed copies of the resolution. The Savannah dredging project is intended to deepen the channel to allow larger ships after the expansion of the Panama Canal in 2014.